Gate 41Where does my bag go?
I handed over my bag. What happens now?
After the agent tags your bag it rides a conveyor belt behind the wall into the baggage system. It is scanned at several points, screened for security (often by X-ray or CT), and sorted by flight.
Ramp agents then load the bags into containers or carts and onto the aircraft. If a passenger does not board, the bag is removed so only matching passengers' bags fly. At the destination, the process reverses until your bag appears on the carousel.
A little deeper
Bag tags have a 10-digit "licence plate" that links to your booking. Systems track each bag by barcode or RFID at check-in, sorting, loading and arrival.
Bags in the hold are loaded in a pattern the load controller plans so the aircraft stays balanced.
See it in Gate 41, in the departures hall
Related questions
- What actually happens at check-in?
- Why does the plane need to be balanced?
- How much fuel does a flight carry?
People involved
- Sam OkoyeGround handler (ramp agent)
- Tomás WeberCheck-in agent